Case for Darius Garland
The Chicago Bulls could really use a point guard like Darius Garland that could make an immediate difference. And if not for the knee injury, then Garland could be a bona fide top three pick in this draft class. He might even surpass Murray State’s Ja Morant if he was able to play a full season for Vanderbilt.
The physical tools aren’t overwhelming for Garland. The wingspan, at 6-foot-5, is by no means a drawback for Garland. Since he stands at 6-foot-2 and 175 pounds by his NBA Combine measurements, Garland does bring decent length to the table. It’s the weight and overall strength that should scare NBA scouts a bit.
Vanderbilt guard Darius Garland had his workout with the Knicks today, but New York remains locked on selecting Duke’s RJ Barrett with the NBA Draft’s third overall pick on Thursday, league sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 19, 2019
It’s also easy to get drawn into the workout hype and the limited sample size of production and efficiency that Garland posted in his five games played at Vanderbilt. Garland shot 47.8 percent from beyond the arc and better than 53 percent from the field at Vanderbilt, but the sample size was way too small to get too excited about those numbers.
All in all, Garland would be an immediate spark plug for the Bulls scoring attack. He would have to be healthy and ready to go for the upcoming regular season, but he’s working out without an issue in the last month. There aren’t many limitations to Garland as a two-way point guard either, which should appeal to Chicago Bulls head coach Jim Boylen.